Four out of 10 Grassroots Conservatives want “utterly deceitful liability” Boris Johnson to face a confidence vote - but seven out of 10 think he should defy calls to quit.
Results show that 68% believed he should not resign, but 38% thought he should face a vote of confidence.
In an email to activists, chairman Ed Costelloe said: “Those who want him to go express strong opinions - ‘The party will suffer grave damage if he remains PM for any appreciable period of time… He should announce a timetable for his own departure’.
"‘He should have resigned a long time ago’;
"‘Not competent, utterly deceitful and a liability’;
"‘A one-trick ( Brexit ) politician…a shambolic persona’.”
But Mr Costelloe said some members “clearly want him to stay”.
Other responses included: “His general strategy and sense of direction have been working”; “Done most things right - Brexit, vaccines, economy”; and blaming “an orchestrated movement to remove Boris”.
Another suggested Mr Johnson was “ruled by the wife”.
Emailing members asking for their views last week, Mr Costello told activists their party leader had won “a fantastic election victory with a substantial majority which resulted in getting Brexit done”.
But he added: “We are now in a very different situation with considerable public and private reaction to events in Downing Street in tandem with the continuing pandemic and its draconian rules.”
